By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – The normal, expected progression for a championship team that graduated three senior starters, including an Indiana All-Star and Purdue recruit, is an obvious falloff. Graduation talent drain of that magnitude usually indicates a rebuilding process. Brownstown didn’t get that memo.
After winning the Class 2A state title last season, after getting the “success factor” push to the next level for the next two years, the Braves have reloaded for a possible run at another crown. Newly minted as No.1 in 3A, Brownstown has not missed a beat. Nor have the Braves been beaten.
Not only has Brownstown (17-0) extended its two-year winning streak to 36 straight (the longest active streak in the state), the Braves have done so with incredible, scary dominance. Only two opponents have come within single digits of an offensive juggernaut. Brownstown ranks 11th in the state in scoring at 70.9, and ranks fifth in the state in winning margin, blowing out foes by an average of 24.5 points.
Fasten the seat belts, Bedford North Lawrence, it could be a bumpy night when the Stars (8-8) welcome the Braves to BNL Fieldhouse on Friday night.
Brownstown’s lineup losses included Mr. Basketball finalist Jack Benter, who finished 11th on the state’s career scoring list with 2,550 points. That’s a huge void to fill. The Braves have unveiled new stars while rampaging across southern Indiana, with few weaknesses.
“Watching on film, they’re the most stressful team we’ve seen on our schedule because they can score inside, they can score outside, they shoot the ball very well, they don’t make mistakes,” BNL coach Kurt Godlevske said. “They put a tremendous amount of pressure on you defensively with their trapping zones, they’re just a physical team. There’s a reason they haven’t been beaten yet.
“Jack was so good, and they looked to him in tough situations. Now they move the ball, do all the little things that good teams do.”
The offense demands the attention. Senior forward Chace Coomer leads the attack at 18.9, senior forward Colby Hall totals 15.3, and junior newcomer Lane Pendleton adds 15.0. They have a powerful inside-outside combination. Swarm inside? The Braves will blitz from long range, as they did while hitting 13 treys during a recent 67-31 blowout of Columbus East, as they did while hitting 17 during Tuesday’s 82-54 wipeout of Jennings County. Challenge the 3 line? Hall and Coomer are forces in the paint.
“You have to contest everything as much as you can,” Godlevske said. “The thing you can control is rebounding – as long as they’re missing shots. Hopefully you can limit them to one shot on as many possessions as you can, that will be really important.”
The defense is what veteran coach Dave Benter bases his contentment with his team. The Braves allow only 46.4 points per game, holding six opponents under 40.
“That’s the thing we’ve improved the most since the start of the season,” Benter said. “We struggled to guard consistently the first month or six weeks of the season.
“We’ve had some bumps along the road, some games we haven’t played as well. It’s taken us a little bit to get comfortable because we have guys in different roles this year. The good thing is we had a lot of experience back, and we have a lot of guys who can shoot the ball, so those things add up to playing well when we’re sharing the ball, defending and rebounding at a high level.”
As Benter bears down on his 500th career win (he’s currently 10th on the active list with 494), he’s more focused on the next one. The winning streak, which brings some pressure, is not a concern. Beating the Stars is the priority, especially as Brownstown starts a five-game stretch with four road tests against Hoosier Hills Conference opponents.
“We always talk about never getting too high or too low,” Benter said. “Our guys are pretty grounded, taking one game at a time. Bedford is a tough place to play, they’ve got a good basketball team. So we understand, night in and night out, we have to play well.”
BNL will counter with the scoring of Patric Matson (20.3), Logan Miracle (9.5) and Quincy Pickett (9.7).
“They run good stuff, and they will guard us,” Benter said. “They shoot the ball really well, they know their roles, they know where the ball needs to go. That makes a team scary, to go on road against a team that shoots it well and doesn’t turn it over.”
Brownstown has won three straight in the series, capped by last year’s 71-49 triumph. Parker Hehman scored 21 points while Benter added 16, and the Braves pulled away in the second half with a 19-3 burst.
The two teams that have played Brownstown within single digits include Mitchell (67-60) and Charlestown (63-60).
BROWNSTOWN at BNL
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Records: Brownstown 17-0, ranked No.1 in Class 3A; BNL 8-8
Sagarin ratings: Brownstown 90.56; BNL 75.60
Series: BNL leads 26-8
Last meeting: Last year at Brownstown, the Braves shot down the Stars 71-49. Parker Hehman scored 21 points and Jack Benter added 16 for Brownstown. Patric Matson scored 23 points for BNL.
Previous game story: Brownstown waves goodbye
Game notes: Brownstown won the Class 2A state championship last season. Brownstown coach Dave Benter owns a 494-166 record in his 27th season. The Braves rank 11th in the state in scoring and fifth in the state in winning margin.
Starting lineups
Bedford NL Stars
F – Dax Short 6-1 Jr.
F – Isaiah Sasser 6-0 Sr.
C – Logan Miracle 6-5 Sr.
G – Patric Matson 6-5 Sr.
G – Quincy Pickett 6-3 Sr.
Brownstown Braves
F – Colby Hall 6-6 Sr.
F – Chace Coomer 6-5 Sr.
G – Pierson Wheeler 5-11 Sr.
G – Lane Pendleton 6-2 Jr.
G – Micah Sheffer 6-3 Jr.
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